Jammin' Java is a music club and coffee bar in

Vienna, Virginia Vienna () is a town in Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Vienna has a population of 16,473. Significantly more people live in ZIP codes with the Vienna postal addresses (22180, 22181, ...

, which focuses on local and independent musical acts. The 200-seat venue has hosted eminent artists such as

Nick Jonas Nicholas Jerry Jonas (born September 16, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter and actor. Jonas began acting on Broadway at the age of seven, and released his debut single in 2002; this caught the attention of Columbia Records, where Jonas ...

Paramore Paramore is an American rock band formed in Franklin, Tennessee, in 2004. Since 2017, the band's lineup includes lead vocalist Hayley Williams, lead guitarist Taylor York, and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of ...

Bon Iver Bon Iver ( ) is an American indie folk band founded in 2006 by singer-songwriter Justin Vernon in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Vernon had originally formed Bon Iver as a solo project, but it eventually became a band consisting of Vernon (vocals, guit ...

Owl City Owl City is an American electronic music project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is one of several projects by singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young (American musician), Adam Young, who created the project while exp ...

, Meiko and

Ingrid Michaelson Ingrid Ellen Michaelson (born December 8, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter. She is best known for her 2006 single "The Way I Am (Ingrid Michaelson song), The Way I Am" and her 2014 single "Girls Chase Boys", both of which achieved success ...

. It was founded in 1999, and in 2001 was bought and revamped by the Brindley brothers who currently own and run it. According to

Pollstar ''Pollstar'' is a trade publication for the concert and live music industry. The publication was purchased by Oak View Group, a venue consultancy founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff, in July 2017. ''Pollstar'' holds an annual award ce ...

, it has become a top-100 club in ticket sales in the world since its Brindley ownership. It was also named one of the top 40 music clubs in America by ''Paste'' magazine.

History

Christian roots

The first Jammin' Java opened in 1998 in a former pool hall in Kent Island, Maryland.Brace, Eric (January 28, 2000).
A Coffee Shop With a Mission
. ''The Washington Post''. p. H6. Archived fro

on August 16, 2000.Grossman, Cathy Lynn (November 11, 1999). "Brew, biscotti and a place to be a believer". ''USA Today''. p. D10. Gilgoff, Dan (December 10, 1999).
The Battle of Shiloh
. ''The Washington City Paper''. Retrieved October 25, 2011. The owners, Paul and Theresa Klassen, wanted to develop Maryland into a center for

Christian music Christian music is a genre of music that has been written to express either personal or a communal belief regarding Christianity, Christian life and faith. Common themes of Christian music include praise, worship, penitence and lament, and its f ...

. It was the Klassens' teenage son who gave them the idea to create a chain of community spaces that offered musicians and coffee, with a focus on

nondenominational Christianity Non-denominational Christianity (or nondenominational Christianity) consists of churches, and individual Christians, which typically distance themselves from the confessionalism or creedalism of other Christian communities by not formally ali ...

.Salmon, Jacqueline L. (October 19, 2000). "Coffee to Warm the Stomach, Soul". ''The Washington Post''. p. VA1.Jammin' Java profile
. ''Fairfax County, Virginia''. 2000. Archived fro

on February 1, 2001. Retrieved November 6, 2016. The Klassens had previously opened a 1,000-square-foot

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

recording studio A recording studio is a specialized facility for Sound recording and reproduction, recording and Audio mixing, mixing of instrumental or vocal musical performances, spoken words, and other sounds. They range in size from a small in-home proje ...

, named Waters Edge, which was available to Christian recording artists.Murray, Shanon D. (January 12, 1998).
Jammin', java and Jesus Music: Local entrepreneurs envision recording studios and a string of coffeehouses dedicated to Christian popular music
. ''The Baltimore Sun''. Retrieved October 25, 2011. On November 8, 1999, the second Jammin' Java was opened in a

strip mall A strip mall, strip center, strip plaza or simply plaza is a type of shopping mall, shopping center common in North America and Australia where the stores are arranged in a row, with a footpath in front. Strip malls are typically developed as a ...

. The former Rite Aid became a coffee shop, small music venue, recording studio, and a music store that sold

guitar The guitar is a stringed musical instrument that is usually fretted (with Fretless guitar, some exceptions) and typically has six or Twelve-string guitar, twelve strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming ...

s and amplifiers. The venue mainly featured

Contemporary Christian music Contemporary Christian music (CCM), also known as Christian pop, and occasionally inspirational music, is a genre of modern popular music, and an aspect of Christian media, which is lyrically focused on matters related to the Christianity, Chri ...

and small acts, but it was described by the manager Matt Turner as being "faith-based and non-denominational" and did not feature

Christian iconography Iconography, as a branch of art history, studies the identification, description and interpretation of the content of images: the subjects depicted, the particular compositions and details used to do so, and other elements that are distinct fro ...

. The Klaasens also helped groups in

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and

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open their own Jammin' Java locations.

Brindley brothers ownership

The Klaussens closed the original Jammin' Java in Kent Island, and they sold the Jammin' Java in Vienna to brothers Daniel, Jonathan, and Luke Brindley on October 15, 2001. The brothers, all musicians originally from

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

, were interested in opening a place where other musicians could play and began to renovate the venue to improve its musical capabilities. Renovations to the venue included building a new stage and installing new lighting and sound system, as well as a full bar. The club reopened on October 15, 2001. The new owners removed the Christian-focus of the venue, they began serving alcohol and full meals, and they booked more musicians to its stage.Brace, Eric (December 28, 2001). "Now That I Think About 2001". ''The Washington Post''. p. T5.Brace, Eric (March 1, 2002). "Jammin' Java's New Blend". ''The Washington Post''. p. B5. The musical acts originally focused on singer-songwriters and local bands, but has since moved on to more varied offerings such as punk, rock, and pop artists. Over the years the venue became more successful and well-known, earning accolades such as being named one of the top 40 music clubs in America by ''Paste'' magazine, topping reader polls from ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' for local live venues and being named one of the best places to hear live music by AOL Cityguide. In October 2011, Jammin' Java celebrated its tenth anniversary under the Brindley owners. The anniversary month featured special events and concerts and allowed patrons to buy a month-long pass for $100.

Services

As a musical venue, Jammin' Java is a 200-seat club that offers daily live music. Shows average more than once daily and the venue has held about 7,000 concerts from 2001 to 2011. During the day Jammin' Java features Tot Rock, a family-oriented music series. The club also teaches music lessons with Music School at Jammin' Java. Co-owner Daniel Brindley also operates an artist management company out of the club with Go Team! Music Artist Management as well as a record label, Go Team! Records. Artists managed by the company include Chelsea Lee, Rocknoceros and Deep River.

References

External links

Official website
{{Music venues of Virginia Coffeehouses and cafés in the United States Music venues in Virginia Vienna, Virginia 1999 establishments in Virginia Event venues established in 1999